Train Accident

One person was injured last night after an SUV and a train collided in Ashford.

The accident happened at the railroad crossing at Tenth Avenue and Old Highway 84 around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

Ashford Police say 21-year-old Tyrene Underwood was driving the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero and tried to beat the train across the tracks.

The CSX Train was engineered by Jim Riles of Dothan. Riles was not injured but Underwood is listed in critical condition at the Southeast Alabama Medical Center.

Police say an investigation is continuing.

wtvynews4.com Extended Web Coverage

Operation Lifesaver

In 1972, when Operation Lifesaver began, there were approximately 12,000 collisions between trains and motor vehicles annually.

By 1999, the most recent year for which complete information has been collected, the number of train/motor vehicle collisions had been reduced by more than 70 percent to 3,489.

Highway-Rail: Grade Crossing Fatalities

Illinois (54)

Texas (41)

Indiana (26)

California (24)

Ohio (21)

Louisiana (20)

Florida (19)

Minnesota (17)

Mississippi (17)

Arkansas (15)

Michigan (15)

Oklahoma (14)

Alabama (12)

Iowa (10)

Kansas (8)

According to final statistics, there were 402 highway-rail grade crossing fatalities in 1999.

Seventy-eight percent of all 1999 highway-rail grade crossing fatalities occurred in these states.

Pedestrian: Trespass Fatalities

California (86)

Texas (42)

Illinois (32)

Florida (24)

N. Carolina (21)

New York (18)

Pennsylvania(15)

Arizona (14)

New Jersey (14)

Ohio (14)

Washington (13)

Tennessee (12)

Georgia (11)

Minnesota (10)

Arkansas (10)

According to final statistics, there were 479 rail pedestrian/trespasser fatalities in 1999.

Seventy percent of all 1999 rail pedestrian/trespass fatalities occurred in these states.

Operation Lifesaver Safety Tips

Never drive around lowered gates – it’s illegal and deadly.

If you suspect a signal is malfunctioning, call the 1-800 number posted on or near the crossing signal or your local law enforcement agency.

Never race a train to the crossing – even if you tie, you lose.

Do not get trapped on the tracks. Only proceed through a highway-rail grade crossing if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping.

Remember, the train is three feet wider than the tracks on both sides.

If your vehicle stalls on a crossing, immediately get everyone out and far away from the tracks. (Move away from the tracks in the direction from which the train is approaching.) Call your local law enforcement agency for assistance.

At a multiple track crossing waiting for a train to pass, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching in either direction.

Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly. Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 55 miles per hour can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That’s at least 18 football fields!

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.